Chapter 6

The last Servant was a heavyweight—even Amber, who hadn't read many books, had heard of him. Leonidas I, the famed King of Sparta, legendary for his battle of three hundred Spartans against a hundred-thousand-strong army.

At that moment, she finally felt the charm of Fate.

This feeling of meeting famous figures was just like when she'd met Fu Hua. If she could summon a historical hero she admired, the romance of it alone would be thrilling.

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Chapter 12: Ishtar, Who Demands Offerings

Time quickly came to the next day.

Leonidas and the other two, each having their own tasks and being Servants summoned by Gilgamesh, naturally took orders to hold the front lines across various battlefields. While the terror of the Demon Beasts was insurmountable for ordinary people, for Servants it was merely a matter of how fast they could kill.

Compared to the three Servants, Chaldea's tasks were far more mundane—mostly odd jobs helping out in the city, like shearing wool for farmers, cleaning up by the river, and driving away pest birds stealing grain.

The only thing that could even be called combat-related was helping Leonidas train the troops.

Although Amber had said she would lend a hand when necessary, she hadn't agreed to join Chaldea's party, so Gilgamesh naturally had no arrangements for her.

That was a good thing for Amber, since she needed to seriously catch up on her knowledge of Tai Xu Sword Qi and Honkai Energy application.

So, while everyone else was busy, she left Uruk alone.

This was already her third day leaving the city solo. Since she was cultivating the effect by starting from the cause, Amber's progress was very rapid—after all, when she didn't understand something during her training inside Feathered Dust, she could have the Immortal directly use her body in reality to demonstrate it.

Then, after experiencing that feeling, she tried to replicate it herself.

With such a convenient shortcut, Amber naturally had no reason not to use it.

As for Fu Hua, she had no real objection to this somewhat opportunistic approach.

Because Amber's talent for Tai Xu Sword Qi was surprisingly miraculous—just a few days ago she was a little girl who didn't even know what True Qi was, yet in just a few days she had already mastered its application, entered the Sword Heart, and even grasped quite a few Sword Forms.

Amber didn't think it was her own talent; she felt it was only because she had Fu Hua's body that she could pick things up so quickly.

After finishing another morning of training, Amber habitually planned to find some wandering Demon Beasts to test her skills on. She flew straight into the sky, slowly gliding while observing her surroundings.

With Amber's flight speed and the wide field of view from the sky, she soon spotted a group of Demon Beasts charging toward a wagon loaded with supplies.

Seeing this, Amber intended to go help, but she quickly sensed another aura approaching rapidly.

Relying on her keen five senses, she saw the rapidly approaching presence—it was Ishtar riding her Heavenly Boat.

Meeting here again?

Amber was a bit surprised, so she didn't rush to intervene, deciding to see what Ishtar planned to do.

Ishtar, who had rushed over swiftly, wasn't actually on patrol. She had been searching for something for days, but her repeated failures were making her irritable. The embarrassment of having no offerings, unable even to decorate her own temple, only fueled that irritation.

Flying aimlessly in the sky, she saw Demon Beasts about to attack humans. She initially didn't want to bother, but after thinking it over, she figured she could use the chance to bask in human reverence and collect some offerings. So, she graciously decided to help this weak and pitiful human.

Hmph, it wasn't that she wanted to help humans—it was out of pity for them that she decided to protect this human who could provide her with pleasure.

Having convinced herself, Ishtar lowered her altitude, then, just as the Demon Beasts were about to reach the wagon, she took them out one by one.

Watching the residents thrown into chaos—literally blown sky-high by the shockwaves—the goddess was about to make a grand entrance and bask in human worship. But as the dust cleared, she noticed that the wagon wasn't carrying crops—it was carrying several chests of gems.

"Not bad, humans!" Ishtar unceremoniously claimed the gems as her own. In high spirits, she descended to the ground, granting mortals the honor of gazing upon her up close. After offering a compliment, she reached for the gems: "I'll accept these offerings. Next time, don't scurry around like ants."

"W-Wait, please! Lady Ishtar!"

The man, still dizzy and unable to fully collect himself, scrambled up from the ground. He wanted to reach out and stop her, but knowing the gap between himself and a deity, he could only panic: "These are gems collected for the King! They're not offerings for you!"

"Hah?"

Hearing this, the goddess's good mood immediately soured. "Are you mistaken? I, the goddess, saved you! Not only has Uruk given me no offerings lately, but at the very least, you should repay your savior, shouldn't you?"

"B-But... the King said these treasures are important..." The man lowered his head, not daring to meet Ishtar's gaze.

"Important? Oh, that treasury built for the future, the one that'll equal humanity's total assets when completed?" Ishtar had a vague memory of it, but she wasn't about to accommodate him. "Listen, instead of putting your hopes on that Golden Sparkle, you'd be better off betting on me. After all, I am a goddess."

"This... I'm afraid I can't comply..." The man's back bent even further, hoping this capricious, destructive goddess would let him off.

"Tell me, isn't this goddess more trustworthy than that king? If that king suddenly dropped dead, I wouldn't mind continuing to protect Uruk. Demon Beasts would be nothing then."

After saying this, Ishtar's expression suddenly turned sour. "Come to think of it, why should I care about your opinion? Forget it, I'm taking these. If it gives that guy a headache, this trip won't be a waste."

Knowing he had no power to resist, the man ultimately said nothing more. If he ended up dead alongside the Demon Beasts, that would be a disaster.

It wasn't that he feared death—it was that Uruk could no longer afford any meaningless deaths. His life wasn't just his own; it was the King's property.

"Please hold, Goddess Ishtar." At that moment, Amber had no choice but to appear.

"Where did you come from?" Ishtar froze, staring at Amber, who had suddenly appeared beside her.

Appearing beside her without any warning—if she had hostile intentions, wouldn't Ishtar be completely helpless against a sneak attack?

"Just some unrefined trick." Amber, who had used Feathered Dust, said.

Feathered Dust—a method of manipulating and toying with consciousness—was indeed unrefined. But Amber didn't mean it that way when she said it; she just wanted to say something cool. She absolutely couldn't miss this chance for a low-key, badass line.

"Are you trying to stop me too?" Ishtar's expression grew even darker.

"Taking others' property is hardly a good look. As a goddess, why resort to such means?" Amber asked curiously.

She genuinely wondered—she was a goddess, so why did she need mortal gems? Wasn't that just like her wife, Tohsaka Rin?

Though she did have Rin's face, after all.

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Chapter 13: It's All the Fault of This Impoverished Vessel

"What I do has nothing to do with you!"

Ishtar furrowed her brows, her tone turning cold. "And your gaze keeps giving me an unpleasant feeling, like you're looking at someone else through me."

Is her intuition this sharp?

Amber felt a bit awkward at being seen through, but kept her expression steady. "My apologies. Having seen too many people, I often find shadows of old friends in new acquaintances. That's one of the burdens of longevity for me."

"Longevity? Speaking of which, you're a Servant too, right."

Faced with such a sincere apology, Ishtar's expression softened slightly, and curiosity crept in. Though she'd been caught off guard by an ambush earlier and had let her guard down enough for someone to approach now, subconsciously she knew the woman in men's clothing was no ordinary figure. If the other party was a legendary figure with a renowned name, it would at least salvage her dignity after two embarrassing slip-ups.

With that thought, Ishtar continued, "Consider this an introduction. Which land's Servant are you?"

"Shenzhou," Amber said.

Shenzhou... In this body's memories, it was a vast land shrouded in mystery. As everyone knew, the more mysterious a magecraft, the greater its power. Mages from Shenzhou, who never interacted with the outside world or even appeared beyond its borders, naturally had a reputation for being untouchable.

And as a Heroic Spirit from Shenzhou, the other party was clearly no simple character.

But Ishtar still hadn't heard the answer she wanted. "Just saying a place name is too vague. Are you shy?"

With that, she proudly puffed out her nonexistent chest, placed one hand on her chest, raised her forearm with authority, and introduced herself with full presence: "The Venus Goddess, also the Goddess of Beauty, the Goddess of War, the Goddess of Goddesses—Ishtar."

"Prometheus Soldier, Crimson Kite Immortal, Fu Hua." In contrast, Amber's response was far more subdued.

It wasn't that she didn't want to mimic Fu Hua's style—saying nothing and playing the silent expert. Though Fu Hua really was an expert. If it were Fu Hua, she'd probably just say something like 'I'm just a martial artist,' but that clearly wasn't what Ishtar was asking. Answering that way would only make her more displeased.

It's definitely not because I think using Fu Hua's name sounds cool! She asked for my title, so I'm just giving it!

Sure, my social skills aren't great, but I'm way better than a block of wood!

Fu Hua, the block of wood who could hear Amber's thoughts: ...

Considering Amber's age and the few years of hospital life where she'd only grown older, not wiser, Fu Hua ultimately decided not to bother with the little brat. Besides, it was just a title. Even if no one here recognized it, if it made Amber happy, letting her use it was fine.

"Prometheus Soldier? Crimson Kite Immortal?" Ishtar searched the Vessel's memories but found no impression of either term. She did, however, recall what an immortal was.

So Ishtar smiled knowingly. "So you're a god too, Fu Hua."

"Not really a god. Just a title bestowed by an emperor. People call me an immortal only because I've lived long," Amber continued her roleplay.

"Is that so? I don't know much about it, but you called me a new friend earlier, right?" Ishtar's interest came and went quickly, and she immediately moved to the next topic. "As the most noble and proud goddess, having ordinary beings call me a friend would normally be troublesome. But circumstances are different now. If you help me with something, I'll acknowledge us as friends."

"What kind of help?"

Ishtar grinned. "It's about Uruk. That Golden Sparkle has been getting way too arrogant. Last time, he even dared to insult me, a goddess. So I plan to teach him a lesson."

Her smile then turned into a frown. "But I've been busy with something important lately, so I don't have time to go to Uruk."

"What the King of Uruk does is for the continuation of humanity," Amber refused. "Protecting the people of Shenzhou is my mission. If human history vanishes, then Shenzhou will cease to exist as well."

"Protecting the people of Shenzhou? Protecting humanity?"

Ishtar wore a strange expression, as if puzzled why a god would protect humans. If it were a whim, that would be one thing, but Amber clearly wasn't acting on impulse. Still, because her fusion with the Vessel was too harmonious, she didn't dwell on it and continued her persuasion. "Judging by your look, you don't even have a single gem on you. Haven't received offerings in a long time, have you? That King of Uruk is loaded with treasures. Skimming a little off him won't hinder his 'saving the Human Order.'"

After fusing with the Vessel, she could naturally feel the changes in her personality. But as a capricious goddess, she believed that no matter how she changed, she was still herself.

And one key thing hadn't changed at all.

That was her hatred for Gilgamesh.

Thanks to the Vessel, she had to admit her temper was surprisingly good now. But when it came to Gilgamesh, she could feel the same malice from the Vessel as her own.

This had made teaching Gilgamesh a lesson her second priority in this manifestation.

Seeing her acting more and more like Tohsaka Rin, Amber was silent for a moment before speaking. "Sorry, I can't help you with this."

"What's that supposed to mean? You said we were friends and everything." Ishtar pouted, then walked toward the Heavenly Boat floating low to the ground, waiting for her.

She couldn't be bothered to pick up the gems on the ground anymore. After all, this 'friend' was clearly on Uruk's side. Besides—though she hated to admit it—if a fight broke out, she'd probably end up embarrassed.

Seeing her like this, Amber actually felt a bit guilty. But she really had nothing to compensate with... Wait?

"Hold on."

Suddenly remembering the junk she hadn't even bothered to look at between those two gacha pulls, Amber flipped her hand, and a black stone with a cherry-colored glow inside appeared in her palm.

The cherry-colored light inside the stone even formed a five-pointed star, radiating from within. Under its glow, the minerals diffused within the stone sparkled like white stars.

"What a beautiful gem!"

Ishtar loved gem-type minerals and immediately recognized that this stone was no ordinary jewel. It contained considerable magical energy, making it excellent material for gem magecraft.

Thinking that, she pouted again. Damn it, had the poverty of that human Vessel seeped into her very bones?

"In Shenzhou, there's a custom called a 'meeting gift.' Since I don't have anything presentable on me right now, let this serve as a substitute." Seeing that Tohsaka... no, Ishtar was very interested in the Star Stone in her hand, Amber breathed a sigh of relief.

Looks like she's appeased.

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By the way, let me ask everyone—does the current pacing have any issues?

Chapter 14: Sand Sculpture Goddess?

"This is for me?" Ishtar reluctantly tore her gaze away from the Star Stones and looked back at Amber.

"Mm." Amber nodded and handed the Star Stones over. "Back where I'm from, these stones are essential catalysts for crafting many items. They have some value, but they're not considered precious."

"Not precious... how not precious?" The Venus Goddess swallowed hard.

"Probably everyone can easily come up with a few thousand of them."

"What!? A few thousand!?"

Ishtar felt like her breath was about to stop—even though she didn't need to breathe.

But Amber's extravagant attitude dealt her a heavy blow. Gems of this quality weren't just for looking at. In ordinary society, gems had only ornamental value, so the prettier they were, the more they cost. That was common logic.

In the realm of magic, however, the rule shifted: 'The more transparent a gem, the better it stores and transmits magical energy, so the more valuable it is.'

To the mystical side, gems weren't just for show; they were more important as catalysts for magic. But only a magician who truly mastered gem magic could unlock a gem's full potential. Using gems merely as vessels to store magical energy was far too extravagant.

So, while the concept of 'more transparent equals more valuable' existed, few magicians were obsessed with gems.

Yet... Ishtar and her Vessel had absolutely no resistance to gems.

"As... as a greeting gift, one stone would hardly show proper respect to a goddess! And you, as a deity, surely your wealth surpasses that of 'everyone,' doesn't it?" After learning the quantity wasn't scarce, the greedy goddess's eyes lit up, and she put on a haughty air.

Amber naturally hadn't planned to give just one. After all, she was going by the title Crimson Kite Immortal now. If she really offered only a single stone, not only would Ishtar be disappointed, but Amber herself would find it embarrassing.

But some things were separate matters.

"After accepting these Star Stones, I hope the Goddess Ishtar will stop targeting human treasures," Amber proposed a condition.

"...Well... let me ask this—are the Star Stones in your hand processed? Otherwise, they wouldn't be such a uniform shape, would they?"

Ishtar hesitated.

That, Amber genuinely didn't know.